Closure



J1 1ly'7, 1925. 1,545,227

L. E. BALTZLEY 1 CLOSURE F'fiEd Nov.-19, 1924 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1925,. V

UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS n BALTZLEY, or ems amen, NEW JERSEY.

cnosunn Application filed November 19, 1924. Serial- No. 750,795.

The objects of the invention are to pro-,

vide a tight-fitting closure which caIr-Jbc readily applied and removed; which may be used repeatedly without loss of its tight sealing qualities; which will automatically adapt itself to such variations in size as ordinarily occur in the manufacture of the bottles or containers with which the invention is used; which will be inexpensive, easiklly manufactured and adapted to be used wit and applied to bottles or other containers of standard form.

These objects are attained through certain novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts as will be clear from the following specification wherein one of the commercial embodiments of the invention is disclosed.

Figures 1 and 2 in the drawingaccompanying and forming part of this specification, are part sectional views illustrating the closure in the form of a bottle cap and showing it first as secured in sealed relation on a bottle neck and then released, ready for removal.

Figure 3 is a top plan partial sectional view of the cap.

Figure 4 is an underneath or bottom plan view of the cap with one of the gripping fingers partially removed and shown in section. a

The body of the closure is shown as a substantially flat disc 5 having an annular bead 6 about the rim ofthe same and dependent spring fingers 7 curled inward at their lower ends at 8 and terminating in the outwardly projecting tips or lugs 9.

The annular bead 6 provides a shoulder at the upper ends of the spring fingers 7 and the out-turned lugs 9 collectively form a second shoulder, at the lower ends of the fingers for limiting the up and down sliding movements of a clamping ring 10 which is engaged about the fingers and serves, as shown in Figure 1, to force the tips of the fingers into holding engagement beneath the present bottle sealing equipmentthe head or shoulderfll on the neck of the 'bottle or other container 12.

The ring 10 is'of special construction consisting of a single length of strip stock disposed on edge and having its ends connected by a lock seam such as indicated at 1 3 in Figure 3, the ring so formed being then flanged outwardly at the upper edge as indicated at 14 to provide an outstanding annular shoulder for manipulation purposes.

It will be observed that the flanging of this ring turns the outer or upper portion 135 of the lock seam substantially at a'right angle to its original plane, thus fixing the jolned parts so that there can be no edge-.

wise slippage of the seam. A permanent,

non-stretching joint is thus provided without, any waste ofmaterial. A sealing disc or (11808 15 is or are usually employed in the cap which may be held in place by suitable adhesive or be held by engagement inside the head 6 in the rim of the cap.

The cap is preferably formed up out ofspring sheet metal and the fingers which are bent down from the rim-of the cap may be left in their original flat state,as shown, so as to introduce an additional element of adjustability, the edges of these flat fingers being engaged by the contracting ring, as

shown in Figure 2, and bent to more or less curvilinear cross section to fit the particular bottle to which the cap is applied.

The bead or bend at the upper ends, where the securing fingers are joined to the cap y, gation of the fingers and a further degree of elongation is afforded at the bends on the lower ends of the fingers so that the caps will adjust themselves to possible variations in the shape distance of the locking shoulder from the mouth of the bottle. The closure is thus self-adjusting and capable of forming a gas and liquid-tight joint with the bottles or containers for which it is intended.

'or removing, the closure may be 'used repeatedly and because of its structure, will maintain its perfect sealing characteristics even after it has been applied and removed a great number of times. The edgewise disposition of the ring provides an additional element of resiliency enabling the closure to I i adapt itself the more readily to variations- I in the contour of the bottle neck, etc.

allows for a certain amount of-elon .95 I of the locking shoulder or the i i The outstandingflange on the fingeficlos applied by the capping machines extensively used in bottling establishments. The closure does not, however, require any special opening tool, as -the edge of the curled over flange provides a handy grip .for engagement by the fingers enabling the ring tobe easil shifted to the releasedposition shown in igure 2, bysimply pulling upward on the same by the fingers. In such a case, the

thumb maybe rested on top of the cap while the fingers ofthe same'hand are engaged beneath the flange to raise the clamping ring. 'IWhen thering .is'raised the cap is then simply held in place by the light spring engagement of the fingers over the head of the neck so that the cap can then beremoved by simply lifting it off the neck.

The outward spring of the holding fingers when they arereleased tends to retain the ring in the upper position shown in Figure 2, so that in this relation of the parts the closure may be a plied to and removed from the container without shifting the ring, it

being held to the container at such times only by the spring gripping, force of the fingers. When, however, the 'rin "is forced down against the stop lugs 9, t e fingers will be bent inward into locking engagement beneath the shoulder of the container and 'will not let go until the ring is shifted'to the release position. 7

It will be evident that instead oi? being of circular form, the closure may .be made in elliptical, angular. or other shapes to fit different styles of containersand that in each instance the ring will have the effect of conforming the holding fingers to the shape of the container and securing the same thereto in tight-fitting relation.. As the downward movement of the ring over the fin ers is limited b the stop shoulders at the ower ends of suc fingers, it is evident that in addition to having the effect of closin' the fingers,

the ring also serves to force t e closure all the more firmly to its seat on the mouth of the container.

What is claimed is: I a

1.; A closure having dependent spring fingers, stop shoulders on the closure atthe upper and lower ends of said fingers and a' finger-closing ring slidably engaged about thefinge'rs between said shoulders, said ring having an outturned flange at one edge forming an abrupt shoulder facilitating op;

eration of the same, and both removal and replacement of the closure by said ring.

2. A closure having dependent spring fin' gers, stop shoulders at the upperand lower ends of said fingers and a fin er-closing ring slidabl en aged about the fingers between said s oul ers, the shoulder at the upper ends of the fingers being .provided by an outstanding bead connecting the fingers with the rim of the closure and the shoulders at the lower ends of the fingers consisting of outwardly extended lugs on the lower ends of the fingers.-

3. A closure having dependent spring fingers provided with lugs for engagement with the beadrof a-bottle neck and providing stop shoulders, a closing ring slidably engaged about said fingers limited in downward movement over thefingers by engagement with the stop shoulder lugs on the spring fingers and provided with an outturned flange enabling digital'operation of the same. ,8

4. A closure having dependent spring fingers provided with lugs for engagement with the bead of a bottle neck,-a closing ring slidvlded with an out-turned flange enabling 5 digital operation of the same and stop shoulder means at the upper ends of the dependent spring fingers limiting the upward movement of the ring to therebyenable the 010 sure being lifted ofi the bottle neck by means of the outstanding flange on the ring.

5. As an article of manufacture, a ring consisting ofa strip of sheet metal havin its ends secured by a lock seam. and turned over to form an angularly projecting flange locking the partsof the seam against edgewise dlsplacement. 6. As an article of manufacture, a ring of sheet metal having a lock seam joint with a portion turned substantially at a right angleto lock the elements of theseam agalnst slidin displacement.

. The process of constructing a ring which comprises joining the'ends of a sheet metal strip by a lock seam and-then turifing the elements of said lock seam for a portion oi their length substantially at a right angle tothereby lock the elements of the seam. against edgewise displacement.

8. The process. of permanently uniting" two sheet metal elements which comprises joining them by a lock seam and then turning a portion of the lock seam substantially at .a rlght angle to lock the elements of the shoulders limiting'downward movement of the ring comprising outwardly. bent lugs on the free'ends of the fingers. j

10. A closurehaving dependentgripping fingers, a finger closing ring slidably en- 5 tion of salg l5 plane of the fingers, there gaged about said fingers and shoulders limiting the up and down movement of said ring over the fingers, whereby said closure may be ap lied and removed by manipularing, the shoulder limiting upward movement of the ring being provided by an outstanding bead connecting the fingers with the rim of the closure.

11. A closure having dependent fingers of a container, a finger closing ring slidably engaged over said fingers and outwardly projecting stop shoulders on said fingers projecting outwardly beiond the normal y limiting downward movement of the ring thereover to enfor interlocking engagement with the neck able downward thrust on said ring to' close the fingers and also to force the closure to a seat on the container.

12. A closure comprisin a cap engageable over a bottle neck or the l e and having dependent spring fingers engageable with the sides of the bottle neck, said fingers being substantiall fiat transversely in noncon formity to t e curvature of the neck and an encircling ring for closing the fingers on the neck and for bowing the fingers transversely to compensate for variations in size and' roundness of the bottle neck.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of October, 1924.

- LOUlS E. BAL'I ZLEY. 

